The Seven Pillars of Servant Leadership

The first pillar is A Person of Character. This person is led by his/her desire to do what
is right, they do not allow their ego to become the driver of their actions. This person is honest
and has good moral character. Character has three interrelated parts: moral knowing, moral
feeling, and moral behavior. This consists of knowing the good, desiring the good, and then
doing the good. There are going to be defining moments in our lives though. These moments are
called Moments of Truth. The moment of truth is the point when a leaders character is
revealed through his/her actions. The second pillar is someone who Puts People First. This
person expresses genuine care and concern for others. They are normally connected to the needs
and interests of others. There are three values that they display: A Servants Heart, MentorMinded, Shows Care and Concern. This pillar is extremely important to have in all leadership
teams because like to know that the leader is not always self-focused. Third is a Skilled
Communicator. Listens and wants to understand before being understood. They will invite
feedback from other people. They influence people with their self-confidence and character.
They also demonstrate empathy and communicates persuasively. Great leaders need to be great
communicators. By being a great communicator you can share you heart on what your ambitions
and goals are for the company, church, etc. Fourth is a Compassionate Collaborator. One thing
this person needs to have is being able to relate to people of diverse backgrounds, and I look at
the positives that people with different viewpoints can offer. Normally they handle disagreements
respectfully and I do their best to take the other persons perspective. It is important that you can
bring a team together when you are of this leadership style. One thing that cannot be is for a team
to be divided amongst themselves. While the leader must keep the team together they must have
a sense of compassion in order to communicate effectively. Fifth is Foresight. Usually this

person has good foresight, can articulate and inspire others, and has discernment and courageous
in decision-making. Displays creativity and is visionary. In order for someone to believe in that
leader though, that leader must display characteristics of foresight. Normally one who has
foresight can see a little farther ahead than others. Sixth is a System Thinker. One who is
comfortable with complexity, easily adapts to change, and takes in all perspectives to come up
with a holistic decision. Most of the time when a problem arises in an organization people tend to
zoom in to see what it was; however, a system thinker zooms out to see the underlying patterns
or problems of the organization as a whole. Seventh is someone who has Moral Authority.
They values moral authority over positional authority. They know how to set clear, firm, yet
flexible boundaries. This person establishes quality standards for conduct and performance. They
empowers others with responsibility and authority. And lastly, they share power and control.
They do not rely solely on themselves to run an organization, but seek advice from a group of
members established for that reason.
From my freshmen year to now I have seen a lot of change in myself. Academically, I
have always seen my studies as important. However, I have not always applied myself in every
class. One thing I ask myself to get my mindset right is, How can apply these tactics to my
life? I have changed my perspective on learning. Every class has something to teach you. Even
if the class is boring, you can still learn. My goal now is to figure out the key things in each class
that I can use in my life.
The Pillar that I believe I am most like is the Compassionate Collaborator. Because I
grew up in a youth group that was racially, economically, and socially different, I relate to just
about everyone in some way or another. I love to lead but I also know how to follow. My dad
taught me how to do both but he tells me quite often that I am a natural leader. One thing I dont

mind is getting conflict out in the open. I feel like it is better to get all the feelings out so you can
handle it and figure up a solution. I am very big on respect. I am going to respect you and I
expect to get respect in return. In a group, there is a leader but he is not a dictator. His main
purpose is to organize and encourage group thinking. Once the group has come to a decision he
leads them through it. I like to encourage group thinking. If possible, I want as much of the
group to be happy with the ultimate decision as possible. I also encourage others to learn how to
lead, especially if they show good leadership characteristics. Such as, good listening skills,
humility, empathy, and inspires others.